Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Following on from Senator McDowell's comments, and from my time involved in trade unionism, I saw countless appeals about appointments and so on. Section 12 of the Bill deals in more detail with this "Public Appointments Service". We are discussing a new, open and transparent way of appointing judges but there is something at the beginning of the Bill that lends itself to the "dog's dinner" description the Attorney General gave. A line in the Bill refers to the "Public Appointments Service", but we have no earthly idea what that is or how it is composed. Is this a group that is working out of the Office of the Taoiseach? As my colleague, Senator McDowell, said, that was the only reference he could find to "Public Appointments Service". Does this mean that these people are appointed by the Taoiseach to fill certain vacancies? If so, where does that leave the issues of transparency and openness and the accusations of political interference and so on that can be thrown at future appointees?

How would I apply to join this commission? Is there an appeals process if I am turned down? We will have to consider these matters later in the Bill. I am anxious to see a definition for "Public Appointments Service". Let us have clear definitions as we work our way through. The Bill is likely to come back and haunt us for the next 20 or 30 years.